Schooling Fish Anyone?

[Bearjohnson]

I was thinking about a small group of schooling fish as possibly my last addition into the tank. So I was wondering if anyone had any small schools of fish in their tanks and if so what kinds and pictures.

 

[dmatt88]

I've had chromies. They look cool in schools. Just never had em live longer than a year or so.

....... I'm Matt n im a reefaholic.

 

[jpsika08]

+1 Chromis are nice but don't live too much, maybe you can try Anthias, they are really nice fish to watch and pop colors into the tank.

 

[PSU4ME]

My two choices as well..... Best bet is to watch the divers den and get a group of them together.

 

[David Shaw]

+1 Chromis are nice but don't live too much, maybe you can try Anthias, they are really nice fish to watch and pop colors into the tank.

Bartlett's are my favourite Anthia's. They swim mid to top tank and are always on the move together. Easier to keep than the orange reef wreck variation.

 

[BigAl07]

Keep in mind that not all fish who normally "Shoal" will do so in an aquarium. Also the very same shoal of fish may behave entirely differently in another tank (meaning that "Shoal" you bought at the LFS may disperse in your tank). Shoaling (commonly used interchangeably with schooling which is entirely different) is a social behavior and may or may not happen in an aquarium. Our aquariums put a whole new set of rules on the fish as a mass and because of this they may not "act" as they should (or at least as we would like them to). Tank size, rock-work, flow, tank mates and many other factors come into play with why fish act how they do.

In my experience the fish I've had the best success with in terms of shoaling would be Cardinals. I've had good luck with both Pajama Cardinal fish and Bangai Cardinal fish shoaling in my 90g system.

 

[fishguy4]

Ya i second the idea of using cardinals. Just be sure you have enough space in your tank so they have ample room. Same with any schooling fish.

 

[ReefApprentice]

fire fish

 

[fishguy4]

o thats a good idea too!

 

[reeferman]

i really like my lyretail anthias.3 females and a male.when the females stray from the pack,the male goes and rounds them all up.

 

[DaveK]

The other thing is that to see fish school, you got to put a lot of fish, of the same species, in the tank. Be sure that you really want to devote that much tank space to schooling fish.

This is a case where you might want to consider a 2nd tank, and set it up as a FW tank, and put in a schooling species. It will be a lot less expensive. A planted tank can be especially impressive.

 

[tnwillia]

Pictures to look at have fun!

schooling fish potm sep 2006, sep 2009

Aquarium Photography Forum

 

[clownfishrule]

fire gobies i have a pod of 6 in my tank.

 

[nanoreefer1000]

Assessors
Cardinalfish
Anthias

 

[lbiminiblue]

I've had chromies. They look cool in schools. Just never had em live longer than a year or so.

....... I'm Matt n im a reefaholic.

hey i have five but they never really school...just wander independently throughout the tank...do i need more for a school?

 

[Moana]

Pilotfish (Gnathanodon speciosus). But, they grow incredibly quick and swim fast around your tank. If you are after a "schooling" fish these are nice. Be sure to get them less than 2". Oh, and they grow to 36" in length.

 

[BigAl07]

hey i have five but they never really school...just wander independently throughout the tank...do i need more for a school?

You may want to read this post again...
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/saltwater-fish/78367-schooling-fish-anyone.html#post1085674